Snow Witch'S Journey
An unexpected encounter

A small tower-shaped ice sculpture monument in the middle of the intersection became a sign that I was in the center of the city right now. The main street of the gate has a large intersection in the middle of the city. I took the left crossing that led me straight out to the north gate.

After coming out of the gate, I had to go down a path long enough to reach the shoreline. The roads that continue to decline are indeed treated and cleaned every time so that the snow does not thicken. I don't have to drag my feet in the heavy snow anymore. Snow is removed and piled up on the roadside so it looks like a high snow hill. There are many candle lights that decorate along the way are still not turned off. Either I'm parted or the person in charge of turning it off forgetfulness.

If I walk for ten minutes on my own, I finally reach my destination. I was new, but my sight was immediately locked onto a tower with pointed ice. It was a lighthouse tower that stood on the shore pier. The same ice-ice as in the city enveloped the tower as if it was frozen. The tip of the ice is tapered to the north and small parts are around the tower as if to lock it away from entry. The lighthouse itself looks empty. No light operating. Even I doubt that the tower is still in use while there is sharp ice covering the entire body of the tower.

Pier on the beach there is also no crowded activities in general. This dock has left the residents, but still leaves some wooden boxes and small boats tied up. Around the pier are also found ice-ice towering upwards. Some of the ice is on the beach and cliff edges with a variety of sizes, some also appear at the end of the shallow sea floor.

“What do you think?” I asked the compass I had just left when I stepped on the beach.

“This, anyway, is not natural anymore, nor is it the back of a dragon. It was impossible for people to build a lighthouse in the middle of a chunk of ice and leave it alone. It is certain that this ice was deliberately created,” he said. I didn't think he would immediately agree with my mind.

It's true that these ices are too difficult to be considered a creation of nature. As I got closer to the lighthouse and touched the texture of the ice, I felt a different feeling than when I touched the sea water that became ice. Like when distinguishing the original painting and fake painting. Although both paintings but still some make it different. That's what I'm trying to figure out right now.

Then my eyes, my heart and my mind aligned into one in the same conclusion. That the ice in this lighthouse looks like a splash of water that instantly freezes into ice as I see it now. That means the lighthouse was originally an ordinary building before there was a giant splash of water that made it stop operating because the water froze into ice that locked the lighthouse.

“Omong by the way, you can freeze something with your magic, right? What if you try to replicate this ice to prove whether it can be created by humans or not?”

Aeron gave me a not bad idea. Adding one ice barb will also not have a big effect on the population.

I faced the calm sea. The cold wind gently wagged my hair and puffed in my ear as if whispering gave me permission. I thrust my wand forward, as if pointing towards the end of the world. Then, with magic already struggling impatiently at the end of the magic wand, I released it towards the empty ocean. A speck of ice forms on the surface of the water. As I released my magic energy, the more the ice expanded and grew like a plant. I formed an ice thorn with a pointed tip that kept getting higher as if it had no boundaries. Like lighting a fire, I suddenly stopped growing ice because I realized something.

“What's up?” Aeron was astonished to see my actions.

I felt an uninvited gust of wind coming from behind and swaying my back, forcing myself to turn around and look. There was a presence behind me. I could feel his gaze pointing at me even though I didn't see it. The wind that came from behind opposite the wind from the direction of the sea, pushed each other, then disappeared, leaving us both. There was no wind to protect me and no wind to hide me. I turned around because that was all I could do.

“I've expected.” I stared intently at the red-haired girl standing on the beach. While he stared more intently at me who was standing at the end of the pier.

The gray sky was as if gloomy looking at the gazes of the two of us who seemed to hate each other. The sky hopes that there will be no need for hatred for each other, forgiveness for each other, and reconciliation of both hearts, so that the sky will be bright. Unfortunately, that's not possible. And the sky will not be bright even though he and I are at peace.

“I thought it was you.” The girl repeated her words.

“What do you mean?”

I returned her sharp gaze because I felt that she hated me so much that she wanted to kill me right now. That was the aura I felt from him at this moment.

“I've been looking for you, criminal!”

“Do not joke!” He snapped. “The violations you have committed have been countless scattered throughout the country. There are hundreds of reports that have been officially recorded due to your actions and hundreds of others that have not been recorded due to several conditions. As long as you know, you're listed as the worst witch ever.”

My mind is completely empty at the moment. “Hey, looks like you got the wrong person.” What the hell is going on right now? How hard I thought, I don't remember committing a crime at all. I've only been away from home for over a month and I haven't visited nearly half of the continent. How could I commit a crime I don't remember? Maybe the girl misunderstood. “I'm a witch, but I'm not a criminal. And I will not commit a single crime. I can guarantee it.”

“Lying in front of the truth is futile! The evidence is real and has been scattered everywhere, one of which is this place.”

“But I just got here last night. You met me yourself before at the pool, right?”

The girl's face suddenly turned red. “Ti-don't you tell me you remember too!”

“Then?” I waited.

“Stay only. Violation is a violation. You must be arrested and serve the same sentence as all the crimes you have committed. Punishment for all your crimes will be adjusted to the value of the law and society.” The witch approached me. “Whatever you say can be used in court. But, don't expect justice to forgive you, evil witch!”

He approached with anger at each step, but did not make his pace faster it was heavy and sharp. His tracks were full of determination and his red eyes were staring very confidently. He didn't lie about his words and I didn't feel any lies from him. It was all pure from his heart.

“Wait a minute!” stop me before he gets close. “You said as if you knew me, whereas I haven't known you since the first meeting in the pool. Actually, who are you?”

“I'm an investigator. Special Investigator Magic.” The girl unfolded her thick robe and showed a gold-plated badge on her chest. The badge was circular in shape with a fire-burning feather in the center of the circle. There were letters on the bottom that I couldn't see so small. “I handle all sorts of cases involving criminal witches like you. From national and international scale.”

He quickly covered his robe either because of the cold or because I stared too long at his badge. From what I saw, the badge looked official and did not look like a toy. So, I think he's a law enforcement officer who's doing his job.

“One of your crimes in this country is the destruction of city facilities and endangering the safety of residents by creating ice in the middle of the city without any security procedures. As someone who stands by the side of the law, I cannot let you be free. I'm willing to go to this cold place to catch you. And finally, I managed to find your trace. Do you remember the bandits you froze in the ice in the western forest? If it's not wrong, they call you the Ice Witch.”

Apparently so. He thinks I'm the cause of the ice in this town for finding the bandits I frozen. It does make a little sense to be associated, but still, believing in the bandits who stole my letter is a foolish act, let alone for a law enforcement officer like him. And it also meant that he only got information about my ugliness from the bandits and not about my reputation from the townspeople. Plus, I told them that I'm the Snow Witch, not the ice. Really troublesome.

“After finding you here, and seeing this place and the ice you just created, it's not wrong that you're the criminal I'm looking for.”

“On what basis did you associate me with these ices? I was here for the first time and was amazed by the ice. I've never even committed any crime as far as you say. Somehow a law enforcement officer can play the accuse at will, it doesn't make sense to me. I refuse to be arrested. I'm not a criminal.”

The shadow of his hat covered his face. The girl's hands clenched tightly on both sides of her body. I could feel his anger like a hot aura burning everything around the fire. “That's what all criminals say, isn't it?”

“Why are you so stubborn once—"

“If you don't want to obey, I will take you by force!” his words cut my astonishment. “I am justice! I will punish you myself, criminal!”